HHAPPYAPPY NNEWEW YYEAREAR LLASAS VVEGASEGAS Volume 16, Issue 43 Dec. 31, 2014-Jan. 6, 2015 lasvegastribune.com Ward 5 Chamber of Commerce Member Dozens of mistakes identified in now-viewable records Federal education officials: Nevada can’t charge dad to look at children’s records By Karen Gray vada Journal last week that after lection program — called the “Sys- records, at no cost, regardless of Nevada Journal months of battling with the Nevada tem of Accountability Information whether they are maintained by the LAS VEGAS — Remember the Department of Education (NDE), Network,” or SAIN — “was not school, district or state. Nevada dad who was told it would he and his wife were finally allowed designed for student-level inspec- Conversations with officials at cost him over $10,000 to see the to review the records housed on his tion” and informed Eppolito it the federal U.S. Family Policy records the State of Nevada has on children in the department’s data- would cost him $10,194 to see the Compliance Office also suggested his children, a story first reported base. information because the state would the possibility that NDE was in vio- by Nevada Journal? While Eppolito said it would have to do a “data dump” and cre- lation of the Act. He’s been allowed to view those have taken more than a full day to ate the programming required to Such violation, at least theoreti- records — without being charged review and understand all the data, produce a “report.” cally, could mean Nevada losing — following intervention by the in the four hours he spent review- Eppolito, however, had not federal education dollars. federal Department of Education. ing the information, he identified asked the state for a report. He sim- Nevada Journal contacted NDE, Student information warehoused in more than 30 erroneous addresses ply asked to “see” the information citing federal officials’ statement the Nevada State Longitudinal Data associated with his children. regarding his children that NDE that the state was “supposed to pro- System, said federal officials, con- “These are just four kids,” he maintained in its database. vide [parents] the opportunity to stitutes education records under the said. “How many others?” Parents’ rights inspect and review [records] upon Family Education Rights and Pri- NDE uploads and stores more under federal law request,” and that “there shouldn’t vacy Act and therefore must be than 800 points of data daily on JOHN EPPOLITO Federal law — the Family Edu- be a fee for inspecting and review- open to inspection by parents. each public school student, and on his four children. cation Rights and Privacy Act — ing the records.” John Eppolito, the father of four Eppolito earlier this year asked de- State officials responded that the entitles parents to review and in- Nevada State Superintendent of faced with paying $10,194, told Ne- partment officials to see the records state’s $10 million K-12 data col- spect their children’s educational (See Parent’s Rights, Page 6) My Point of View By Rolando Larraz I am glad the euphoria of the holidays is over this week and I can go back to a normal status writing my Point of View without having to be worried about hurting anyone’s feelings or giving the im- pression of being a cold-blooded insensitive person. But, before I start writing some of the stuff that has been bothering me for a while, I want to take a moment to thank District Court TOP LOCAL STORIES OF 2014 Judge Art Richie Jr. for the beauti- ful Christmas card he and his wife sent me. Judge Richie is maybe the only one in this world that still uses real Christmas cards to send to people in the Christmas season — we didn’t even send real cards this year — and for that I am grateful to Judge and Mrs. Ritchie Jr. for their effort to keep the tradition alive while helping to support the United the State Postal Service by purchasing stamps. While talking about judges in year District Court I want to thank Judge William “Bill” Kephart for the in- vitation that I had received to his in news swearing-in ceremony on Friday, (See pages 4 and 5) January 2nd, 2015 at the Clark County Government Center (Com- mission Chambers) 500 Grand Cen- tral Parkway. The event is at 2:00 p.m. precisely. This event is not going to be like events in the courtroom of some of the judges — such as when some- thing is scheduled for 9:00 and at 9:20 the judge is seen at the court- house parking lot just getting out of the car. And... I’m still waiting for the delicious cookies that one of the judges promised me before the Christmas season started; but in the meantime I will start with my first column of the new year, 2015. FROM THE DESK OF GORDON MARTINES Perhaps this year Chief Judge Jennifer Togliatti will take time out of her busy schedule and address Morality is a private and costly matter the attorneys’ attire in open court. By Gordon Martines officer-involved fatal shooting in- In my widest dreams, I still can’t is Detective Yant, the new chief How can the court tell people how By definition, Morality is the set cident. After all the lies have been quite figure out why a human be- counselor for cop shootings, for the to dress for court when an attorney of principles concerning the distinc- told, the cover-up manufactured, ing, unarmed, squatting down half- LVPPA. shows up in jeans, jogging shoes, tion between right and wrong or and all the parties involved have naked, flushing his dope down a Morality=0 Expediency=1 T-shirt and (maybe by accident) a good and bad behavior. Having di- been publicly vindicated and even toilet, is suddenly, recklessly, and Let us examine the Stanley jacket and with the blessing of the rectly been an observer for the past promoted to higher positions, tax- maliciously shot in the back of his Gibson officer-involved fatal shoot- judge conducting his morning cal- 36 years, I can attest to the fact that payer monies were then given to the head and killed instantly by a nar- ing. Stanley Gibson for the most endar? the LVMPD police administration survivors so that they would not cotics detective serving a warrant, part had barricaded himself in his I was in that courtroom that day, is definitely lacking in Morality. pursue a civil rights complaint law- who - backed up by several other vehicle in the parking lot of an I saw it with my own eyes, and Notwithstanding, this past, suit and thus possibly expose narcotics detectives and a TV civil- apartment complex. Responding thought he was the defendant in- present, and more than likely future, wrongful acts committed by the ian camera crew - felt that the lives officers had blocked Gibson’s ve- stead of the attorney of record and police administration substitutes police department. And as a side of his backup team and himself hicle from moving in any direction the judge sounded sincerely grate- money for morality. In police terms, note, let me reassure you that when were in immediate danger from by the use of their patrol vehicles, ful when she thanked the attorney it is called “Shut-your-mouth the federal government examines a Travon Cole. I am guessing that the setting up a barricade. A plan was for coming in dressed ready to jump money.” case for trial, there is no stone left only person that knows the real formulated to approach Gibson’s (See My Point of View, Page 2) Let’s examine the Travon Cole unturned. truth of why deadly force was used (See From the Desk, Page 8) Page 2 / LAS VEGAS TRIBUNE / December 31, 2014-January 6, 2015 The Rhiannon Gonzales Story Conclusion: DA Dena Rinetti describes Elgin’s medical condition By Rolando Larraz mit to a drug test, on May 8 she ting off of utilities, not being able been approved any visitors since Las Vegas Tribune failed to report and on May 9 she to see the doctor because the facil- her arrival at the Florence McClure Final Part in a Series was administered a drug test which ity required payment at time of ser- Women’s Facility on June 17, prior Criminal Court on Tuesday, May showed positive for methamphet- vice, concluding that this entire or- to being reassigned to the facility 13, was not the triumph that it was amine and amphetamine. Invoking deal must have been extremely dif- that staffs the Forestry Division. On originally scheduled to be. Instead the search clause Gonzales’ phone ficult to handle, and she finally September 26, 2014, her mother of Willis reporting that he had re- was discovered in her car. In the broke. Piro asked that she be placed spoke to Rhonda Larsen of Family leased Gonzales from House Arrest phone text messages were discov- into a drug rehabilitation program. Services for Nevada Department of and restitution had been made, he ered that indicated that Ms But then Rinetti dropped the Corrections, to inquire about get- was reciting a list of the parole vio- Gonzales was selling controlled bombshell, “And she’s pregnant!” ting permission for the children to lations committed by Gonzales. substances. Willis did admit that up There was complete silence for a visit. Ms Larsen found that there Willis stated that Gonzales was in to that point she had always tested split second. Then Judge Valerie were visitation restrictions with violation for failure to report, as clean and that he was just about to Adair pronounced “Probation Re- Gonzales’ children placed by the well as violations regarding con- allow visits with her daughter.